Motivation Time Tuesday ~ Fashion: A Cost-Effective Way to Accomplish a Fun Goal

Maybe you have a decent wardrobe, and now you want to add a little something that makes every outfit just that much better.

To do that, you know you need the help of a stylist or some sort of fashion expert.

Countless fashion ads will convince you to get the latest trends. . .

But that doesn’t always work to your benefit and can leave you right back where you started.

Leaving you feeling frustrated for even trying.

There’s a much better and economical way to discover what your wardrobe really needs.

I’ll be honest with you. . .

There is some reading involved. There’s a quick way to figure out what looks good on you, and I’ll let you know about it in this post.

But first. . .

Fashion Alert! Why Mannequins Fail When You Are Looking for New Clothes

I have a confession. For most of my teen life and throughout my twenties, I used to consume every fashion magazine on the planet. Since marriage, motherhood, and work responsibilities take center stage in my life now, I realized I started to lose my fashion sense.

Though I always loved window shopping to stay up-to-date on what’s in, mannequins in windows are bad examples of giving you ideas of what to wear for your body type. They may be great for inspiration. After all, someone with a lot of fashion know-how put the beautiful ensemble together. It’s one way to know what’s hip at a glance but that doesn’t always translate into what outfits look good on you. The last time I checked, I wasn’t the same size as the mannequin. You?

So as much as I’ve been mostly plugging away at my New Year’s resolutions, I’ve sprinkled in some fun goals. Even though it’s more lighthearted I think I’m acquiring substantial knowledge about another topic that I may not have otherwise looked into consistently in my spare time.

After reading Clinton Kelly’s Freakin’ Fabulous on a Budget and devouring every page of the book, I especially enjoyed the fashion section. Since reading this book I’ve been on the look out for classic clothing finds that I need in my wardrobe. So I’ve been treating this fun goal as a fashion scavenger hunt.

I’m super excited to share how I accomplish this. It makes the harder goals easier to bear and seem like a reward after I do the ones that I don’t necessarily love to death like working out.

Not to boast but I’ve been pretty disciplined about crossing things off of my to do list in the goals department. I’ve learned a great deal from my organized blogging buddies that I’ve been friends with for years, who have streamlined systems for getting their work load done more efficiently. I’ve also been devouring content on the topic and picking up strategies from conferences I attend.The combination of the book and my network have catapulted my own productivity.

You may be wondering what do I mean by “disciplined”?

The word sounds a bit rigid. Maybe persistent or consistent actions are better word choices but it does boil down to taking whatever small steps you have to each day to get closer to accomplishing what you set out to do.

Here’s are the best tips I’ve learned from Clinton Kelly:

1. Clothes that fit=flattering.

The name brand doesn’t matter so much as the fit. Obviously you don’t want to buy something that isn’t well made and will fall apart after a few washes. If something looks great on you, instead of chasing name brands, try things on and focus on how it fits versus thinking that a name brand is going to be the only answer to your fashion dilemmas.

2. Find fashion role models.

Picking someone who has your body type is key. How many times have you caught yourself grumbling over some new trend that you know will only look good on runway models or the mannequins displaying them? Though it can be great for inspiration or picking out something about what they are wearing to infuse into your own style, most folks probably won’t look the same in those exact duds.

So my homework is to find a fashion role model with my body type. So while on the surface I will appear to be thumbing through a fashion magazine in my spare time. A trained eye will know that I’m search of my fashion role model. That is such an easy way to figure out how to customize clothes I should be wearing. Don’t get left out. Give yourself a head start in the fashion department and gain insight from a fashion expert at a discount.

Here’s exactly how I remember and to keep track of what I set out to do:

1. Get a inexpensive pocket calendar.

2. Make a key at the top of the month. For example, the letter “f” can stand for working on fashion goal. You can also just use check marks like I have in the photo above. So when you take a step to accomplish that, you mark when you did it on your calendar. It’s a quick reference to see how often you’ve been working on the goal. You can always find away to do this digitally, of course, too. If you want to clearly write outwhat you want to accomplish, follow my template here.

The benefits of this book for me are clear:

I now know how to shop for myself.

I can find classic pieces that are worth investing the money in.

I won’t waste my precious free time trying on clothes that aren’t suited for me.

I have some basic guidelines to follow from a fashion expert I can apply when I shop for items I’m not use to buying.

I now know what is missing in my wardrobe and can actively look for all of the pieces. When a special occasion comes up or I just want to be able to whip together a nice outfit quickly, I won’t have to panic and run out and buy something last minute and possibly over pay.

I learned a plethora of tips for a small price. If I had to hire a stylist, it would cost at least 400 dollars to gain this insight in person. This was the best 25.00 I spent in awhile.

The Bottom Line

If you want a better well dressed you, commit to achieving a fun fashion goal. Find role models that are where you want to be. It helps to serve as a visual end point of your desired look. If you still need of a little more guidance, get Freakin’ Fabulous on a Budget to jump start your fashion sense. It even includes fashion tips for men.

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Testimonials

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With the launch of my book, I knew I wanted to focus on being a guest on multiple podcasts, so I reached out to Karen a few months beforehand. I had no doubt that she would get me booked for many podcast appearances. Within the first month of hiring Karen, I scheduled eight podcast interviews.

Outside of the podcast guest booking, what I didn’t know is how she would go above and beyond.The guidance she has provided me, from her podcast interview tips to pointers on delivering more value for the shows to how to be a better podcast guest in general, has been so golden and I can’t say enough about it!

Jen Hemphill, Money Confidence Coach

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